John Bartholomew

I take on my former student, Tom (USCF: 1902), in a pair of 15+10 games. Here an Exchange Queen's Gambit Declined leads to a customary minority attack for White, but I struggle to counter Tom's response 15...b5, intending ...Nb6-c4. The play shifts to the center and kingside, and with mutual time pressure looming all three results are possible. Review this game on Chess.com: … [Read more...] about Standard Chess #273: Game 2 vs. Tom (Queen’s Gambit Declined)

I take on my former student, Tom (USCF: 1902), in a pair of 15+10 games. With Black, I use the move order 1.d4 d6 2.c4 e5 to offer a queenless middlegame where Black experiences few problems despite lagging in development and losing the right to castle. I'm able to develop queenside pressure as well as a strong presence on the d-file. Review this game on Chess.com: … [Read more...] about Standard Chess #272: Game 1 vs. Tom (English Rat Defense)

Playing the July 2018 Titled Tuesday Chess.com! 238 titled players competed in this 10 round, 3+2 blitz event. Follow along for the good, the bad, and the ugly in this always-tense event! Final standings: https://www.chess.com/tournament/live/-titled-tuesday-blitz-973486 Follow me on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/johnbartholomew Follow me on Twitter: … [Read more...] about Titled Tuesday [July 2018]

Though outwardly banal, the variation 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 produces a nuanced queenless middlegame that is ideal for those players who prefer to maneuver and plot. My October 2017 experience on the White side of this line against this line's aficionado, GM Aleksa Strikovic, encouraged me to take up Black's cause. In this game my opponent develops … [Read more...] about Standard Chess #271: junny888 vs. IM Bartholomew (Pirc Defense)

I've been streaming the weekly Chess.com Arena Kings tourneys on my Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/johnbartholomew), and this was a particularly fun stream. After a slow start, I try to kick things in to gear and play some loose, attacking chess! Follow me on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/johnbartholomew Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fins0905 Check out my … [Read more...] about Arena Kings: Blitz! [Week 5]